Heating device for motor vehicles



.Fuiy 2 1935 c. R. MUELLER 2,006,846

HEATING DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed March 14, 1929 INVENTOR Cxfi'rz'a Eda) I? Mueller AT RNEY$- Patented July 2, 193s 2,006,840

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HEATING DEVICE FOR. MOTOR VEHICLES Christian R. Mueller, Detroit, Mich. Application March 14, 1929, Serial No. 346,848 4'Claims. (c1. 23.1-12.3)

One object of my invention is to provide Fig. 4 is a view taken on the line 4-4 of means for heating the passenger compartment of Fig. 3. p a motor vehicle by the introduction of heated air Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of a modiin sufilcient volume into the vehicle, to produce flcation of my device and showing diagram- 5 a constant air change therein, rather than by matically the application of automatic means 5 the method of transferring heat by convection for regulating the air ke. from a heated element to the relatively sta- I am aware hat heating devices for a vetionary air content of the body. hicle body have been contrived in a number of Another object of my invention is to utilize different forms, the p p l es Of which the heat loss of the engine cooling water for a e t ese in Which the heated is passed 10 heating the vehicle body, without materially Over the x ust a old and 80 into the interfering with the cooling of the water. ody, in Which e t of t e haus Another object of my invention is to produce gases is transferred to a e ment in Contact means for taking heated air directly fromv the with the y atmosphere a d tra fe ed from radiator core into the vehicle body without inh lem nt to the body atmosph r by con- 15 terference of or mixture with the air currents n- All of the heating devices empl yin present in the engine compartment of the vethe utilization of the au t ma o d or cases hicle, and without materially affecting the funcere Objectionable, fly beeeuse y heat t tion of the radiator i cooling th circulating air passing into contact therewith to such a dewater. gree as to carbonize the dust particles in the air, 20

Another object of my invention is to provide thereby pro uc ng a decidedly unp a a t Ode means for passing air heated by the radiator in the ear, and in most of t m re is the 111- directly into the body without materially retimete danger O leakage of au gas s on stricting the volume of air passing through any account of defective Wem J o the 5 given portion of the radiator during passage to body the eel, which is not y np the body and with a minimum of resistance to but may become decidedly da ge ou On account the natural direction of flow induced b mo eof the po n u as onta ed in t e hau 1; t 1 y v Anth t fht bd' th 1t men of e ehjc e 0 er ype 0 ea er em O 168 e CII'CU. a 1011 Another object of my invention is to provide 01 the cooling Water of the engine in heat trans simple, cheap and easily applied me of an fer elements within the body. This also involves an accessory nature for effecting the above objects. the tmuster of heat to the y atmosphere by Another bject of my invention is to provide convection, which is slow to operate and unsatismeans for effecting said objects which are ad factory and Such apparatus is expensive to juStabIe to regulate the volume of taken stall. Other attempts have been made to utilize from the radiator Cora the warm air leaving the radiator to heat the 35 With these and other objects in view, my inbut have been unsatisfficwry in Practice vention consists in the arrangement, combinafor the reaison that they permlt leakage of the on and construction of the various rts or oil laden air from the engine compartment into d d d th pa the body, giving rise to unpleasant odors, and by i i f as ed m e h reason of its lower temperature, reducing the 4 clalfned m W f Shown m the temperature of the air passing directly from the acchmpahymg drawmg m Y' radiator core. Other attempts to utilize the foll glirlt 15f aa lzalgnnggiltargmsile 111:3; atiorxim i ;3 h: radiator air;i are zirrlisatislfactoryf becaulse they ti;-

V 5 1 volve crow ing e v0 ume 0 air eaving e see en d dleelesltng tl ig- Pertlen i z radiator into a small conduit, and also conduct- 45 passenger eemper men e engine p ing the air in a devious path from the radiator m g. e the i l l tl 0f the Vehicle in Which to the body, which so reduces the volume and my evice is ins a e temperature of the air that ultimately reaches Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of parts the body that it is insuflicient to heat the passhown in Fig. 1 and embodying automatic means senger compartment. 50 for controlling the radiator shutters employed Ample heat may be obtained from the radiain conjunction therewith. tor alone to heat the passenger compartment so Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front elevation of ralong as the air conduit and its connection with diator shutters which may be employed in con- ,the radiator are of suflicientsize to accumulate nection with my device. and convey the necessary volume of air, which is accomplished with apparatus constructed and attached as shown. Approximately 45% of the heat produced by the combustion of gasoline in the engine is transferred to the cooling water at about 150 degrees F. The normal average consumption per running hourof about one gallon of gasoline, which contains approximately 120,000 B. t. u., causes the transfer of about 54,000 B. t. u. per hour to the cooling water. This is equal to the amount of heat given of! by 216 feet of steam radiation which is sufiicient to heat an average size house.

Air passing through the radiator is normally heated to between and degrees F., and is transferred to the body at this temperature in suillcient volume to cause a rapid air change therein, and by reason of its heat content above the temperature ,of the vehicle, liberates sumcient heat to maintain the passenger compartment at a comfortable temperature, such as 60 degrees F. in zero weather.

I have provided a device and a system which conveys the air to the body in the natural direction of flow induced by the movement of the vehicle and which does not materially interfere with the volumetric condition of the air leaving the radiator, thereby utilizing the velocity induced by movement of the vehicle or by the air movement outside of the vehicle; and which prevents the intermixture of the air inside the engine hood and in contact with the e e with the heating air, thereby eliminating the unpleasant odors given off by the engine and preventing the reduction in temperature of the heating air which would inevitably result from such intermixture. As a result 1am able to inject a large volume of heated odorless air into the passenger compartment of the vehicle which will be suflicient to cause a rapid air change therein and to maintain a comfortable temperature.

In Fig. i I have shown a portion of a vehicle body comprising a front passenger compartment l0 and engine compartment ll separated from the passenger compartment It by a dash I! and entlosed by the hood or bonnet It. A radiator ll of the conventional type is positioned forwardly of the engine and at the forward end of the hood It. The engine is of the conventional water cooled type in which water circulates therethrough and through the radiator I in which it loses its heat to air which is continuously passing through the radiator core. A fan 15 ofthe conventional type is mounted upon the forward end of the engine and operated thereby and designed to assist in the movement of air through the radiator II.

My apparatus for transferring heated air from the radiator ll into the passenger compartment It, comprises a shroud pan 20, illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, which abuts the rear face of the radiator and converges inwardly towards the engine. It will be noted that the top and upper side portions of the shroud enclose the fan in the form illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. This shroud pan 2. is adapted to cause the air currents passing through the radiator It to converge toward a desired point. The upper rear side of the shroud 20 is provided with a funnel shaped outlet 2| which is provided with a belied end portion 22 shaped as a ball socket. This funnel shaped outlet comprises the forward end of a conduit 24 which is provided with a ball socket 23 posimit a limited universal movement of the conduit 24 relative to the shroud 20.

The rear end of the conduit is provided with a second ball socket portion 25 which engages for universal movement with a cylindrical valve device 26 which extends through the dash l2 and is fixed thereto. A suitable manually controlled lever 21 may be provided on the dash for opening and closing the valve 2|. This feature permits the discharge of the air passing through the conduit on the engine side of the dash when the valve is opened and into the ercompartment when the valve is closed. The ball joint connection Just described permits relative movement between the radiator It to which the shroud 20 is attached and the dash l2 to which the conduit 24 and valve 26 are attached, with out straining the air conduit extending therebetween or entering the radiator core. This also permits convenient installation of the device as an accessory, in that it permits some latitude in positioning the valve member 26 relative to the dash l2. Any suitable type of valve may be used.

It is understood that it is not to employ the ball socket joint in the form of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, but that a rigid connection between the shroud pan 20 and the conduit 24 may be made, as indicated in Fig. 5, if desired. The conduit 24 and its funnel shaped forward end 2| is attached to the rear upper edge and the upper side portions of the shroud so as to position the end of the conduit 24 immediately in the rear of the upper half of the fan II.

I have illustrated a set of conventional radiator shutters 20 mounted on the front side of the radiator it, which shutters are of the conventional type, well known in the art, and may be controlled manually from the dash by a rod 3| if desired. Such shutters may regulate the e of air through the radiator ll in order to control the cooling of the water in the radiator. I provide a means of controlling the volume of the air passing through said air conducting means which is responsive to the temperature of the air within the air conducting means, which comprises a thermostat 32 which is mounted at a suitable point in the air conducting means. This thermostat is responsive to the temperature of the heated air leaving the radiator and is connectedby suitable linkage 3! with the radiator shutters Ill. When the temperature rises to a given point, the thermostat 32 will be actuated to close the shutters II and when it drops to a predetermined point, the shutters will be opened, and thus control of the volume of air entering the radiator is had responsive to the temperature of the air within the air conducting means or to the temperature of the air leaving the radiator.

In the form of my invention illustrated in Fig. 2, the lower forward flared edge of the funnel portion 2| of the conduit 2i extends downwardly in the rear of the fan sufficiently close thereto to eliminate any substantial leakage of air therefrom or mixture of the air from the engine compartment therewith, as the direction of air currents produced by the fan relative to the fan blade are horizontal and at right angles thereto. This insures against the admission of any gaseous odors from the motor into the conduit. The fan will assist the movement of the air coming through the upper portion of the radiator, through the conduit 24 without permitting the air in the engine compartment to mix therewith. It is understood that the thermostat may be placed at any point within the air conducting means or at any point in which it will contact with the air warmed by the radiator. If it is desired to reduce the cross-sectional area of the air conducting means at or near the position of the fan or the head of the engine block on account of lack of space, the air conducting means may include a Venturi section, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, which section may be incorporated in the construction of the ball and socket connection 22, 23 and the forward portion of the conduit 24. Such a construction, properly designed, will increase the velocity of air which passes through the restricted portion of the air conducting means.

In Fig. 5, I have shown a modified form of my invention in which the air conduit 24 is attached to the upper portion of the shroud pan 20 above the Ian l5. In this modification the conduit 24 extends forwardly oi the fan and has a pivoted lip 40 which is secured to the lower half of the conduit, which is adapted to be moved upwardly or downwardly, to regulate the volume of air passing into the conduit 24. This lip 40 may be automatically operated by a thermostat 32, as are the shutters of my previously described modification, in the manner illustrated in the drawing, or it may be operated by a manually controlled rod'll extending forwardly to the dash l2 of the vehicle, the for-- ward end of the rod having a pivoted connection with a link 42 which is fixedly attached to the pivot to which the movable lip 40 is secured. In this modification of my invention, the movable lip 40 is sufficiently close to the rear of the radiator core to prevent any material leakage or mixture of the air in the engine compartment with the air passing through the conduit 24.

'I'ne heater of my invention provides for the conducting of a large volume of heated air from the upper rear side of the radiator of an automotive vehicle directly to the passenger compartment without materially restricting the volume of the air discharged into it from the radiator, without the possibility of gases from the engine compartment mixing with the air which enters the passenger compartment.

What I claim is:

1. In a motor vehicle including a water cooled internal combustion engine, an air cooled radiator, and a closed body, a heating system for said body comprising the radiator, air conducting means connecting at least a portion. of the inward side of said radiator directly with the interior of said body, said air conducting means providing a path of flow coinciding with the natural path of flow of air passing through said radiator, and being of a capacity adapted to convey without material restriction the volume of air discharged into it from said radiator and means responsive to the temperature of the air within the air conducting means for controlling the volume of air passing through said air conducting means.

2. In a motor vehicle including a water cooled internal combustion engine, an air cooled radiator, and a closed body, a heating system for said body comprising the radiator, air conducting means connecting at least a portion of the inward side of said radiator directly with the interior of said body and providing a path of flow coinciding with the natural path of flow of air through said radiator, and being of a capacity adapted to convey without material restriction the volume of air discharged into it from said radiator, and means responsive to the temperature of the air within the air conducting means for controlling the volume of air entering said radiator.

3. In a motor vehicle including a water cooled internal combustion engine, an air cooled radiator, and a closed body, a heating system for said body comprising the radiator, air conducting means connecting at least a portion of the inward side of said radiator directly with the interior of said body and providing a path of flow coinciding with the natural path of flow or air through said radiator, and being of a capacity adapted to convey without material restriction the volume 01' air dischargedinto it from said radiator, means for controlling the volume of air entering said radiator, and thermally responsive means positioned in the path of heated air leaving said radiator for actuating said controlling means.

4. In a motor vehicle including a water cooled internal combustion engine, an air cooled radiator, and a closed body, a heating system for said body comprising a radiator, air conducting means connecting at least a portion of the inward side of said radiator directly with the interior of said body, said air conducting means providing a path of flow coinciding with the natural path of flow of air passing through said radiator and including a restricted portion in the form of a Venturi tube for increasing the velocity 01 air passing through the restricted portion thereof, and means responsive to the temperature 01' the air within said air conducting means for controlling thevolume oi! air passing through such air conducting means.

CHRISTIANR. MUELLER. 

